Paul Daley said today he no longer is a Bellator fighter. But Bellator begs to differ.

After a recent rift with the promotion, Daley (40-15-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) apparently requested to be released from his Bellator contract. He took to social media today to say the company obliged, which would make the welterweight veteran a free agent.

But a senior Bellator official today told MMAjunkie that Daley’s online claim is not true, and as of now he remains under contract with the promotion.

In his announcement (via Facebook), Daley said he wants to fight elsewhere over the final 18 months of his career after he wraps up the paperwork:

Daley, 34, has been a constant presence on the Bellator roster since February 2015. He’s earned several wins with the organization, but none bigger than his second-round knockout of Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 183 in September.

“Semtex” has been circling a matchup with unbeaten Michael Page (11-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) for more than a year, but the bout hasn’t come to fruition. That was part of the genesis of Daley’s unrest, but as recently as Bellator 192 this past weekend, Bellator President Scott Coker said he believed the issue would be resolved.

“It’s really interesting, because when I think of Paul Daley, I think of one of the most entertaining fighters I’ve ever been around,” Coker told MMAjunkie after Bellator 192. “Some of the best fights in the history of (Strikeforce) were with Paul Daley. I love his fighting style – I’ve always loved him. When I came to Bellator, he was one of the first guys I reached out to.

“But Paul is very emotional, and Paul is Paul. I don’t take it personally. He’s saying what he’s saying. Hey, he’s the one who called out ‘MVP,’ right? He fought Rory (MacDonald), it didn’t work out. He comes after ‘MVP,’ he calls ‘MVP’ out, so I’m thinking, ‘All right – we’re going to do this fight.’ And then the next thing, he’s like, ‘I changed my mind.’ We’ll figure it out with Paul, but I think he’s just being emotional right now, and we’ll all figure it out.”

Daley was seemingly still unsatisfied with his situation, though – at least enough to say he asked to be released, and enough to think he is headed elsewhere.

Stay tuned to MMAjunkie for more on this story when it develops.

For more on the Bellator schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.